The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has been looking at how to address the sand slug which is threatening to narrow the Barmah Choke.
The Barmah-Millewa reach is the narrowest section of the river that runs through the Barmah-Millewa Forest.
The authority says capacity through the Barmah-Millewa reach has reduced from 11,300 Ml/day in the 1980s to 9200 Ml/day.
MDBA chief executive officer Andrew McConville was asked about the sand slug that was moving down the Murray River at his National Press Club address on November 22.
He said a solution might lie in a combination of six options suggested in a report, one of which could include removal of the sand. He cast doubt on the sand removal option as a total solution because of the complex effect on the river environment.
He said the outcome of a new study looking at the options would be presented to the February meeting of state water ministers.
Independent experts in fluvial geomorphology, stream management and river research have been gradually surveying the riverbed over the past two years and estimate 20 million cubic metres of sand is on the riverbed between Yarrawonga and Picnic Point.
MDBA River Murray operations director Tyson Milne said the sand was largely caused by land use practices and mining in the rivers upstream centuries ago.
He was concerned that within 10 years, the build-up of sand in the Barmah-Millewa reach will have a major impact on the MDBA’s ability to deliver water downstream.
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